I have to correct a review I wrote yesterday (which should be below). I said the transparent sapphire lacquer finish had more green in it than I expected from photo. That was in the bright lights of my basement, which has a light every 3 feet or so in the drop ceiling. Now that I see the kit with just the dim lights of lamps on, the finish is the most beautiful sapphire blue you can imagine. This is my first experience owning a lacquer finish kit and I was fooled yesterday. Light really does change it. But greenish blue or true blue, this finish is absolutely stunning and you will not be disappointed if you buy this kit. Did I mention the full extra stand that's included!?!?

The Mapex M Birch 5-for-4 kit with 24" bass drum arrived and I unpacked it and am almost wholly pleased. There are several listing for this kit on the MF site currently; this one only speaks to this listing's price point and available finish.

1. The only finish still available for all three components when I ordered and as of this writing was Transparent Sapphire. I judged it the most beautiful of the finishes anyway, so went with it, even though my first choice was a 22" bass drum (but that listing did not have all three components available in any one color, or any one color I wanted). So I got the 24" bass and it's all good, but there is more GREEN in the Sapphire than the picture led me to believe. No, I didn't get the green; it is Transparent Sapphire. But I would call this more Ocean (greenish-blue) than Sapphire. Still, the finish is truly stunning.

2. Free 10" tom is a plus, but the real surprise was opening the box and finding not only that and the mounting hardware and clamp for it, but an entire multi-purpose STAND with the other tom's mounting hardware and the top of a cymbal stand plugged into it! That's right, the stand in the pic holding a cymbal and the 10" tom--you get it!

3. I'm a believer in Mapex quality. I wish they would make a white resonator head for the bass, and the name isn't as beautiful as Ludwig or Gretsch, but darned if they can't build drums.

Get this kit, or one like it (my other choice was Midnight Fade, that looks gorgeous) and enjoy!

PS I'm sure they sound great but I've only tapped them with my finger. But my 5-year-old has a V Series kit and it's excellent. I don't need the How to Set Up Your Kit DVD they include, but I'm sure I'll learn plenty from it. Buy this now!